


we turn around to confirm how far we've traveled

by amorias



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: Bittersweet, Deathfic, Experimental, M/M, Phone Calls, a little angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-17
Updated: 2014-01-17
Packaged: 2018-01-09 02:32:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1140393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amorias/pseuds/amorias
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A relationship, written in phone calls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we turn around to confirm how far we've traveled

 Seven electronic rings and a beep.

“This is Hanai Azusa, I can't come to the phone right now, so please leave a message.” A muffled sigh and another beep.

“Pick up the dang phone, Hanai!” A childish groan. “I need help with English homework. I'm so screwed... I'm coming over!”

He forgot to say who it was, but later, there were five loud knocks in succession, and a third baseman begging for help.

 

“Whatcha doing, Hanai?”

A loud voice muffled only barely by the phone, mixing with a heavy sigh and the creaking of a chair being leaned back in.

“I was doing homework, but now I guess I'm talking to you.”

“I didn't know you liked me so much.”

“I didn't either.”

“I like you a lot too, Azusa.”

A choke, disguised as a cough, covered up by laughing on the other end. Shameless, loud, childish laughing.

“Don't call me that!”

 

A voicemail message that sounds like he's nine.

“Hi, this is Yuuchirou! I'm doing something else, so leave a message please!”

“Ah, Tajima. It's Hanai. Remember to come to the restaurant at six, or we'll lose our reservation. By the way, you should change your voicemail message. People are going to think you haven't gone through puberty yet.”

 

“Azusa, let's have phone sex.”

“Denied.”

Hanai heard Tajima laugh as he hung up, face flushing red.

 

The gruff voice on the other end made Hanai's head hurt.

“Don't let this relationship get in the way of the team.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Like hell you don't. You and Tajima are the team's worst kept secret, and you know it.”

A soft sigh, and quiet on Hanai's end.

“Got it, Abe.”

 

“Stop calling me, Yuuichirou!” A scowling and tired voice. Mostly tired. “Seriously, it's two in the morning! Don't you have any decency?”

“Azusa, don't be like that! I just called to tell you--”

“It can wait until practice, which, may I remind you, is three hours from now. Good night, Yuu!” Even the click of Hanai hanging up seemed angry.

His phone rang twice more that night, and then left him in silence that suffocated him.

 

Hanai ignored the voicemails, except for the one that appeared in the middle of a lesson from his mom that only said “call me right now.”

He asked to be excused.

 

A sagging weight upon his shoulders and the squeaking of his shoes against the slick hallway floors as he slid to the ground.

“You're lying. He's not...”

“Azusa, why would I lie about this?”

A moment of pause and a knotting in Hanai's throat that he can't swallow away.

“Mom, please be lying.”

The prolonged silence was enough to confirm that she wasn't.

A hand clamped over his mouth, a phone snapped shut and then immediately redialed to Tajima's number.

Six rings, when someone who is not Yuuchirou Tajima picked up.

 

A mass text sent to the rest of the baseball team was all that was needed for them to get together and for the terrible news to be received.

All five stages of grief were displayed when the players were told that Tajima was hit by a car and announced dead on arrival.

 

A large breath to steel his will.

“Two new messages.”

“Please pick up, Azusa, please pick up--” A weakness that Hanai didn't know Tajima possessed hidden by an energetic voice. “I'm sorry for earlier, but I went on a walk and now I'm sorta lost... dontcha think you could pick up?” A soft exhalation of breath and a laugh. “Ah well, I guess you're really not gonna pick up, are you? Oh well. See you tomorrow, Azusa!”

A beep, and a female voice saying, “One new message.”

“Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you what I was gonna tell you earlier!” What is meant to be a dramatic pause, broken up by a laugh. “I love you, Azusa. See you tomorrow!”

 

Seven rings, and a beep.

“Hiya, I'm probably playing baseball, so please leave me a message!”

He forgot to say his name this time.

A long silence, and finally a heavy sigh is pushed into the receiver.

“I'm sorry, Tajima.”

A cracking voice, and a click.


End file.
